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The differences between mainframe programmers and program developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a mainframe programmer and a program developer. Additionally, a mainframe programmer has an average salary of $87,036, which is higher than the $74,749 average annual salary of a program developer.
The top three skills for a mainframe programmer include JCL, DB2 and MQ. The most important skills for a program developer are development programs, community outreach, and project management.
| Mainframe Programmer | Program Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,036 | $74,749 |
| Hourly rate | $41.84 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 205,724 | 128,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Mainframe programmers and program developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mainframe Programmer | Program Developer | |
| Average salary | $87,036 | $74,749 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $117,000 | Between $47,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Randstad North America, Inc. | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a mainframe programmer and a program developer in terms of educational background:
| Mainframe Programmer | Program Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between mainframe programmers' and program developers' demographics:
| Mainframe Programmer | Program Developer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 23.2% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |